THE EPILOGUE（第1页）

"y-blessedbethybreech，andeverystone;

thiswasamerrytaleofchanticleer.

"sirnunnespriest，"ourhostesaidanon，

butbymytruth，ifthouwertseculere，**alaymanthouwouldestbeatreadefowl*aright;*cock

forifthouhavecourageasthouhastmight，

theewereneedofhennes，asiween，

yearethanseventimesseventeen.

see，whatebrawnes*haththisgentlepriest，*muscles，sinews

sogreataneck，andsuchalargebreast

helookethasasperhawkwithhiseyen

himneedethnothiscolourfortodyen

withbrazil，norwithgrainofportugale.

but，sir，fairefallyouforyourtale."

and，afterthat，hewithfullmerrycheer

saidtoanother，asyeshallhear.

thesixteenlinesappendedtothetaleofthenunspriestseem，astyrwhittobserves，eedingtale—butthedifficultyistodeterminewhichthattaleshouldbe.inearliereditions，thelinesformedtheopeningoftheprologuetothemanciplestale;butstofthemanuscriptsacknowledgethemselvesdefectiveinthispart，andgivethenunstaleafterthatofthenunspriest.intheharleianmanuscript，followedbymrwright，thesecondnunstale，andthecanonsyeomanstale，areplacedafterthefranklinstale;andthesixteenlinesabovearenotfound—themanciplesprologueingimmediatelyafterthe"amen"ofthenunspriest.intwomanuscripts，thelastlineofthesixteenrunsthus:"saiduntothenunasyeshallhear;"andsixlinesreevidentlyforged，aregiventointroducethenunstale.allthisconfusionanddoubtonlystrengthenthecertainty，anddeepentheregret，that"thecanterburytales"wereleftatchaucers，deathnotmerelyveryimperfectasawhole，butdestituteofmanyfinishingtouchesthatwouldhavemadethempletesofarastheconceptionhadactuallybeencarriedintoperformance.